Citadellyan Can Do It
by arc.black
Summary: [Load of...well. don't read, unless you enjoy Mary Sue fics with little logistics involved. Mostly my random mind drabbling]
1. Prologue

Kel sighed and stretched. After having read the letter at lest ten times by candle, she was honest-to-Mithros _tired. _The aforementioned letter read;

_Dear Keladry,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. To be blunt, Jon just told me that a new girl is at the palace training to become a knight! And she doesn't have to go through, probation, either. I know that after you, that shouldn't come as a surprise, but at my age, surprise does pounce so. Her name is Vereiwing of Citadellyan. She also lived on the Yamani Islands for a while. Hope you get the chance to talk to her; being the "Gifted Lioness"(quoting Raoul), I'm not allowed within a mile once her official training begins._

_Regards,_

_Alanna_

_Lady Knight_

_Baroness of Pirates Swoop_

Despite_ not_ being of Lady Alanna's age, Keladry of Mindelan was surprised and delighted beyond her wits when she received the news. Vereiweing of Citadellyan was a nice girl, as far as she could remember. Kel had met her at a public function, and now, as the young woman reflected, she should have known that Vereiwing was to become a knight, or at least page. There had been an unquenchable fire in those dark eyes.

Kel sighed again and flopped on her bed. Suddenly, she grinned.

Wait till she told everybody.


	2. Meeting Vereiwing

"Keladry, Vereiwng of Citadellyan." The Lioness introduced them. Kel observed the page. Her hair was black, and cut just shy of her shoulders. Those eyes were the same as two years ago, deep and focused. Her skin was nicely tanned, with a healthy glow to the cheeks. She was built like an acrobat, lanky and muscular, with perfect posture.

Kelput on what she hoped was a friendly expression. "I've heard about you."

"Not too much, I hope, Lady Knight," grinned the girl, eyes dancing.

At that, Kel chuckled. "You don't have to call me that. Vereiwing, call me Kel."

The page smiled. "And call me Verei."

"Well," said the Lioness, clearing her throat. "It's nearly lunch. Kel, is Neal here?"

Kel's head snapped up. "Yes, he is. Actually, I saw him with Yukimi about ten minutes ago…" Verei frowned.

"Neal? As in, Queenscove?" she asked.

Kel rolled her eyes. "The silly lump will be eating with us today, I'm afraid. We'll try and keep your sanity intact." Alanna grinned.

"I highly doubt that will be possible," the older knight said. The three generations of female warriors walked toward the palace as the lunch bell rang above them.

They were greeted with an unintelligible shouts and chatter as they entered the hall. Something chicken – like and cheesy was cooking.

Kel watched as Verei slid easily into a place next to an older boy, asking, "What's for lunch?"

"Chicken pie," the boy answered. "Verei, pass the salt?"

Verei grinned, and picked up the salt but withheld it from him. "Verei, pass the salt…"

"Please," sighed the boy.

"You know, you are really lucky that I teach you manners, Soran," she said in a mock serious tone. "Lord Wyldon would've had your hide!"

Soran grinned. "And my horse's," he reminded her.

Kel smiled, and turned away from the happy scene, and got the shock of her life when she saw Yukimi.

"Hello," the Yamani said, her face glowing.

"Yuki – you're – you're wearing _Easterners _clothing!" Kel sputtered finally.

"Not only that," Yuki said, a mischief playing in her eye. "I'm also pregnant."

Kel closed her eyes momentarily, and wished she had the courage to ask the gods for strength. "You're pregnant," she repeated, the shock apparently too great for simply saying it once being enough to let it soak in.

"Keladry!"

Kel whirled around, to see Neal, Cleon and Merric motioning for her to sit at their table. She turned to Yuki, and smiled. "Shall we?" she said.

Upon seating themselves, Neal said, "You look as though you've seen Lord Wyldon in a dressing gown." That raised a laugh.

"No," said Kel, maintaining her composure. "Your wife has just informed me that she is pregnant."

Cleon and Merric's eyes went wide. "Yuki's WHAT?" they chorused.

_Oh, gods_, Kel thought. _But this is what you get when you come home, I suppose. _She glanced once more at Verei. The girl was apparently deep in discussion with another dark haired boy. He apparently made some inexcusable remark, kicked him from under the table. Kel suppressed a laugh. She remembered doing that to Neal in her day.

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A/N: yeah, I know. It's crap. But I had to add something…thanks for reviewing, despite the fact that you probably haven't yet…sorry I took so long to update, but I do have 14 other stories to take care of, you know. ;)


	3. Fairy Godmother

For the past year, Kel had been off fighting Scanrans, mostly working with the Own. Frankly speaking, she thought she thoroughly deserved a rest. Of course, with Lord Raoul, you could never tell. So, after much whining on her part, something, Kel noted, she never would have done in the Yamani Islands, Raoul had let her leave to spend the summer down in Corus.

"Not too long, though," he had said. "We need another decent knight. Alanna's off taking care of some sort of nonsense in the south, so never mind her."

"What about you?" she had asked.

Raoul smiled. "Sorry, I should have said another lady knight."

""Why?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Kel, women are better at strategy than men. Saving my own presence, sir," he had said ruefully. "I could do with another two Kels."

So now, under the shadow of the once-dreaded tree, Kel attempted to write to her former knight-master about Vereiwing of Citadellyan.

Whom, in fact, she had been watching.

She had watched the girl fenced with the older boy, Soran. Verei was perfectly capable, and more. Kel had learned Soran's fief, Anak's Eyrie, and learned the names of all the other boys that were friends with Verei was friends with – and those of which she wasn't.

Not that she planned on becoming the girl's fairy godmother, or anything. Kel fully expected the girl to fight, give Lord Wyldon the age-old, absolute crap excuse about how she had fallen down, and then receive detention for "falling down."

But what if something truly nasty happened to the girl? Not to get overly explicit or morbid, Kel thought to herself, but for example, sexual assault? Five against one? It would be like Joren all over again. "Knight master," Kel said aloud. "Please forgive me for the terrible letter I am about to write." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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A/N – faithful readers, please forgive me the terrible chapter I just wrote. I know. It's not going anywhere.


	4. Already Leaving?

Kel surveyed her work. Okay. It wasn't too bad. She fully expected Lord Raoul to send her a reply begging hr to go to Lord Wyldon to take letter-writing lessons, but it would do. Besides, she had had enough lessons from the old coot. She stuck out her tongue at no one in particular.

Truth being, she was lonely. Alanna had left, as Verei's "official" training had started. Gods help her if she started talking to the Queen for company, and she couldn't quite get on with the King, either. Lalasa was busy with her shop; Neal was wrapped up in Yuki, and Merric and Cleon were…not distant, to be sure, but she agreed with Lord Raoul.

The realm needed another lady knight, even if for her own selfish reasons.

So she decided to go back north. Fight Scanrans. Get her failing social life off her mind. _It had to be easier being male, _Kel thought as she packed her bags. Shaking her hair out of her eyes, Kel turned to the door and promptly forgot what she had been doing when she saw Neal in the doorway.

She had long gotten over her crush on him. Really. But he looked drawn and worried. "Sit," she said, indicating her desk chair.

"Yes, your Majesty," he replied seriously, but his eyes gave him away. "Leaving already?" he asked, gesturing at her bags, and her bare room.

"Mmhmm. Court life is boring," she said. By rote, almost. She had repeated that to herself so many times it was almost as boring as court life.

"No, its not," Neal countered.

"Maybe not for you, party boy," retorted Kel. "I, on the other hand, have a brain."

"I have a brain!" protested Neal. "I just don't use it as often as her most exalted Sensibleness, Keladry of Mindelan."

"Oh, well. We can't all be perfect!" Kel said with a wicked grin.

"I know. No need to feel sorry for yourself, we all know you mean me." Neal smirked.

"Arrogant prat."

"I know."

Silence.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll be back soon."

"I'll miss you anyways."

Scraping of a chair. Something clattered downstairs. Neal left the room. Suddenly it felt much colder than it had been. _He's right. You've barely been in Corus a week, and you're already going. _Half of Kel wanted to turn her bags up side down and stay for the rest of the summer. And the other half, the sensible half (as Kel told herself) said she HAD to go. Her country needed her.

_No more patriotic shit, please, _her inner voice said. _You're just running away. _

_Again. _

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A/N: so there it is. i have no idea where its going from here. suggestions? i don't want to do Kel/Neal, and i want to make this tory short. no kel/raoul (ugh. pedophilic.) and...kel/OC? i dunno. please come up wwith something, my lovely REVIEWERS. ;) 


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